I thought about how people used to always travel long distances on the train. Travel must have felt far more significant. There was no flying out to see grandma for a long weekend. I imagine that a "family vacation" was not a concept yet. The train was a way to change your life. Maybe it still is. In an age where we're all in such a hurry to get to the destination, it reminded me that it is important to remember and appreciate the journey that gets you there.
The area where I grew up is on fire.
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from Alpine toward Ft. Davis by John Schwerdtfeger |
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Looking east of Alpine by John Schwerdtfeger |
It is devastating and sad to read posts from friends who have lost homes...to think about all the places I knew well growing up...and to see people trying to drive cattle down the highway away from the fire. It's an old-fashioned sort of area. We're not fancy. It may not be much, but it was my journey.
Volunteer firefighters are doing their best to battle multiple fires, some as large as 2 miles wide, 20 miles long, covering 4 miles every 30 minutes. Much of the fighting must be done with dirt. Water is running low, and with the fire cutting through electrical poles, there is no power to pump what is left.
You can find out more at these sources:
- Marfa Public Radio site and Twitter feed
- The Big Bend Sentinel (the paper my mother works with) and Twitter feed
- Fort Davis Fires and Benefit Concert on Facebook
4 comments:
Your tweets and this post are the only reasons I'm aware of this. I don't know if I am just cut off from other streams of information on the weekends or if this is getting no play anywhere. I can't say how much I appreciate you making me aware of it.
I know you have a history with the area, too. It's very hard to see it like this.
Apparently, FEMA has made getting aid there the number 1 priority in the country---so while the fires might not be making national news, at least they will get some federal level attention.
Wow! I had heard "West Texas" had fires but now I have a place that I know. How very sad. It is amazing how stories that really are big get buried by the same few over repeated stories.
Had the pleasure of driving thru west texas and visiting that weird, cool little town, Marfa, this time last year. didn't realize you were from the area--it's sad to see it burning.
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